Kurt Stettler facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kurt Stettler | ||
| Date of birth | 21 August 1932 | ||
| Place of birth | Stettlen, Switzerland | ||
| Date of death | 8 December 2020 (aged 88) | ||
| Place of death | Zürich, Switzerland | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Young Boys | |||
| FC Ostermundigen | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1950–1951 | FC Lugano | 1 | (0) |
| 1951–1952 | FC Locarno | 0 | (0) |
| 1952–1954 | FC Bern | 22 | (0) |
| 1954–1957 | Luzern | 55 | (0) |
| 1957–1964 | FC Basel | 160 | (0) |
| 1964–1968 | Young Fellows Zürich | 66 | (0) |
| 1978 | Young Fellows Zürich | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 305 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| 1961–1963 | Switzerland | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1978–1979 | Young Fellows Zürich | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kurt Stettler (born August 21, 1932 – died December 8, 2020) was a famous Swiss football goalkeeper. He played for the Swiss national team and even took part in the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Kurt Stettler's Football Journey
Kurt Stettler started playing football when he was young with Young Boys. While he was learning to be a baker, he also played for FC Ostermundigen's youth teams.
In 1957, he joined FC Lugano and played his first professional league game there. The next season, he moved to FC Locarno, but he didn't play any league games for them.
Playing for FC Bern and Luzern
For the 1952–53 season, Stettler became the main goalkeeper for FC Bern. However, his team was moved down to a lower league at the end of the 1953–54 season. Stettler then moved to play for Luzern. He played there for three seasons, even though they also moved down to the second tier of Swiss football.
Time with FC Basel
Stettler joined FC Basel in 1957. He played his first league game for the club on August 25, 1957, where Basel won 8–1 against Winterthur.
He stayed with Basel for seven seasons. In the 1962–63 season, Stettler and his team won the Swiss Cup. They beat Grasshopper Club Zürich, who were the favorites, 2–0 in the final game. This was a big win for the team!
A Trip Around the World
During the winter break of the 1963–64 season, the FC Basel team went on an amazing world tour! They visited many places like British Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, Mexico, and the United States.
The trip lasted from January 10 to February 10, 1964. It involved 19 flights and many bus and train rides. Kurt Stettler was part of this exciting journey and played in nine friendly games during the tour.
A funny story from the trip: the club chairman accidentally left 250,000 Swiss Francs (a lot of money!) at home. Luckily, the airline was able to deliver it to him in just a few days! Even though they had some injuries during the friendly matches, the tour was a memorable adventure for the team.
Stettler's Games for Basel
While playing for FC Basel, Kurt Stettler played a total of 253 games. This included 160 league games, where he kept the opposing team from scoring 29 times. He also played in cup games and other friendly matches.
Later Career and Coaching
After leaving Basel, Stettler moved to Young Fellows Zürich. They were in the second tier of Swiss football at the time. In his first season, Stettler helped them get promoted to the top league. He played as their goalkeeper for four seasons.
Later, he became a youth coach for the club. In 1978, he even played one more game as an emergency goalkeeper for the first team when he was 45 years old! The next season, he became the first team manager.
Playing for Switzerland
Kurt Stettler was chosen to play for the Swiss national team in 1962. His first game for Switzerland was on May 9, 1962, against England. Switzerland lost that game 3–1.
He was also selected as the third goalkeeper for the 1962 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't play any games in the tournament. Stettler played his second and last game for Switzerland on June 5, 1963, which was also against England.
Kurt Stettler's Personal Life
Kurt Stettler trained as a baker and confectioner. He was married to Margrit for over 65 years, and they had two children, Ursula and Bruno.
Even though he was a professional footballer, Stettler always played as an amateur. This means he had another job alongside his football career. He worked his way up from a salesman to a manager at a shopping center in Basel. Later, he worked as an inspector until he retired.
After retiring, Stettler moved to Au, Zürich, near Lake Zürich, where he enjoyed his retirement with his wife. Sadly, he passed away on December 8, 2020, at the age of 88.
